


An Absurd Accusation

by Allie0963



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: 9x20, Bisexual Jennifer Jareau, Bisexual Spencer Reid, Blood Relations, Coming Out, Gen, Lesbian Emily Prentiss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-01
Updated: 2020-10-01
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:27:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26750617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Allie0963/pseuds/Allie0963
Summary: Set in 9x20, Blood Relations, after JJ’s conversation with Mr. Lee.
Relationships: Jennifer "JJ" Jareau/William LaMontagne Jr.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 44





	An Absurd Accusation

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve taken to writing one shots based off of minuscule occurrences in random episodes. This one focuses on a scene from 9x20.

“Mr. Lee, please.” JJ leaned onto the corner of the desk, crossing her arms with a heavy sigh. “All right, will you answer one question? Who do you think is behind Matthias’ murder?” 

The old man in from her let out an unsatisfied  _ hhmph _ as he glared at the woman in front of him. “Mrs. Jareau,” he started. Of course he would say that, JJ figured. No old man wanted to admit that a “pretty thing” like her held more authority and, apparently, a whole hell of a lot more brains than he did. 

JJ narrowed her eyes. “Agent Jareau,” she corrected forcefully. That’s what she liked about being an FBI agent. Nobody got to call her  _ miss _ or  _ misses _ or even  _ detective _ . No. She was an agent. A government agent that got to tell people what to do. She liked that. 

“It’s Mrs. Jareau,” Mr. Lee decided. “Unless that ring on your finger is some sort of lesbian thing. I know how you all like it up in DC.” Lee leaned back in his chair, watching shock, anger, amusement, and finally, embarrassment cross the  _ agent’s _ face in the matter of a second. “You see, this here is a family matter,” he concluded, shooting a triumphant look at a very flustered Jennifer Jareau. “And we would appreciate it if the federal government just backed off.” 

_ Oh, sure _ , thought JJ,  _ because your family drama gives you the right to avoid the law. Not a chance in the world.  _ The blonde glanced down at her phone as the signal text tone rang. “Okay,” she shrugged. “You’re free to go.” 

. . .

It was sometime later that day that JJ’s mind was floating off the Earth, the conversation from earlier still playing through her mind.  _ Some kind of lesbian thing _ . She could feel her face burning red at the memory. 

“JJ…” a distant voice echoed. “Jen?” 

Her head snapped up, meeting Reid’s concerned gaze. “What’s up, Spence?” 

“Are you okay?” 

“What? Oh, yeah, I’m good.” She offered a fake smile, trying to force the blush off of her face. Reid looked at her, unconvinced, and she realized he probably thought this was about something  _ completely _ different. Yes, it had been only two months since… the incident, that she preferred to just ignore. She knew at some point it was going to hit her hard, but for now, she was enjoying the fact that she was, for the most part, okay. 

“It’s not that,” JJ assured, pulling out one of the plastic chairs at the conference table and lowering herself into it. Reid sat down next to her. 

“Then what is it?” he asked. “You looked a little worried.” 

JJ let out a breath of air, bordering on a laugh. “It’s nothing, really.”

“What did you and Lee talk about?” he pressed, watching the subtle movements of his coworker. 

JJ swallowed, knowing his statement was playing in her mind much more than it should have been. He couldn’t know. Could he? The rest of the team certainly didn’t (or did they?), so how could some hillbilly redneck have read her that well? He couldn’t have, that was the simple answer, but of course, JJ’s overly anxious mind was making it up to be something else. 

“He accused me of being a lesbian,” she blurted. 

Reid blinked, not quite registering what she said at first before his jaw dropped open slightly. “What? Why would he say that?” 

JJ held up her left hand, displaying the ring placed on her finger. 

“You’re married,” Reid deadpanned. “To a man…”

“I know.” 

“So why is it bothering you that he thought… you know?” 

JJ sunk her teeth into her lower lip. She’d sworn herself to secrecy when she was 17, and for 20 years, she’d stuck to that promise. She really didn’t know why it was a big deal that she liked men, and women. She’d always been flustered by the thought of explaining her sexuality to somebody. Just let her sleep with who she wanted, she figured. Why did it have to be such a big deal? 

Well, technically, she hadn’t been 100% secretive. Exactly 3 people knew. The first one being the girl she’d made out with in high school, the second being the woman she’d slept with in college, and the third being Emily, who she confessed to after learning that her best friend just happened to like women, as well. 

“JJ,” Reid said, interrupting her flood of thoughts. “I lost you somewhere again.”

“Sorry. I was thinking.” She shook her head, blonde hair falling in a frame around her flustered cheeks. “I don’t know why it bothers me. It just does. I guess it makes me mad when men insist that it’s  _ misses _ and not  _ agent _ . Men just like to be better.” 

“Two things, Jayje,” Reid started, his  _ I know everything  _ voice lying beneath his concern. “One, that explanation sucked, and two, you’re a horrible liar.” 

“It wasn’t a lie!” She insisted, before correcting, “okay, I do know why it bothers me,” after seeing Reid’s look that read  _ you’re not walking away until you tell me what’s wrong _ . 

“Do you want to tell me?” he asked, even though it wasn’t really an option. He was going to get an answer from JJ eventually. 

“Not really.” 

“JJ, you’re worrying me.” 

“I’m not a lesbian,” she insisted, barely able to meet Reid’s eye before she quietly confessed, “but I do like women.” 

Reid stared at her for a moment before saying, “that’s it? You were afraid an old creep had profiled you, and therefore the rest of us knew?” 

“Did you know?” JJ asked, feeling her stomach drop, not sure why she was so concerned with the fact that Spence knew this.

“I had a suspicion,” admitted Reid. “And you do remember that I came out to you as bisexual 4 years and 3 months ago, right?” 

“Well, of course,” scoffed the blonde agent. 

“So why in the world were you worried about telling  _ me _ ?” 

JJ paused, suddenly realizing the absurdity of the anxiousness she had felt after fearing that, somehow, Mr. Lee knew what she barely wanted to admit to herself. “I don’t know,” she admitted truthfully. “It’s just so personal. I’ve only ever told three people, wait, no, I didn’t actually tell two of them, they just…” 

“Got it,” said Reid. “Emily knows, doesn’t she?” 

“Yeah.” JJ crossed her arms again. “How’d you know?” 

“She’s gay.” 

“Did she tell you that?” JJ asked incredulously, surprised that Emily would have admitted that to anyone else, considering she was the hardest person to get to open up. 

Reid let out a laugh, as he leaned back in his chair. “Have you seen her nails?” 


End file.
